


Fairground Attraction

by Starsea (StarseainExile)



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Don't copy to another site, Gen, The friendship that never was, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-11-09 03:30:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20846816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarseainExile/pseuds/Starsea
Summary: There is a small boy standing at the TARDIS console. He is a perfect candidate for time travel. The Doctor knows he can't take him.





	Fairground Attraction

He lands the TARDIS in a fairground - because among all the other things here, the TARDIS will look boring and out of place - and then he goes off to have some fun. He used to meet the Corsair in fairgrounds, on the anniversary of the day they both scraped through - and escaped from - the Academy. They always met in a place like this because the Corsair was addicted to fairs and festivals. The Doctor didn't know if it was the smell of excitement or the smell of candy floss. Maybe it was both. It never really mattered because even if he couldn't hit the coconuts, the Corsair would, and right now there's a sombrero with his name on it and as far as he knows, River isn't lurking anywhere to destroy it.

After having a wonderful time on the waltzers and crashing his bumper car a record number of times on the dodgems, the Doctor nips back to the TARDIS because he promised a little girl that he'd find her teddy and he doesn't exactly want to just whip out the Stuffing Locator in front of a crowd of slightly drunk humans.

When he arrives, he finds the TARDIS door is open. The Doctor smiles.

"Now, I know I locked you," he murmurs. "So who did you let in? Someone who wants to run away? I love those."

He pushes the door and steps inside quietly, not wanting to startle the visitor. He opens his mouth to say something and then stops.

There is a small boy standing at the console. He is dressed in clothes that are far too big for him and wonky NHS glasses that look as if they have been broken more than once. He is gazing up at the TARDIS ceiling, his eyes wide and his mouth open with wonder. He is a perfect candidate for time travel.

The Doctor knows he can't take him.

"May I help you?" he asks.

Startled, the boy takes a step back, gripping the railing, ready to run. "I'm sorry, the door was open, I just wanted a look-"

"Quite all right," the Doctor says with a smile, walking up the steps to the console. "I felt the same myself when I first saw her."

"Her?" the boy repeats, still wary.

"Ships are always female," the Doctor informs him. "And this is my ship. I'm the Doctor, by the way."

The boy glances around, unable to help himself despite his suspicion. "She's beautiful."

"Yes, she is, isn't she?" the Doctor agrees, also looking around, his voice full of pride and affection.

"How come she's bigger on the inside?"

The Doctor looks at him for a moment, debating his answer. "Well, I could tell you it's just smoke and mirrors, or a trick of the light, but you wouldn't believe that, would you?"

The boy looks around thoughtfully. "She seems pretty real to me."

"That's because she's magic!"

"My uncle says there's no such thing as magic," the boy responds, his voice dull.

The Doctor flicks a few switches and the lights on the console begins to change. "Well, you know what grown ups are like. They don't like to think about things they can't control." He glances at the boy as he says this and points. "Pull that lever there, would you?"

The boy slowly puts his hand on the lever, looking at him. The Doctor smiles and nods. For a moment, the boy hesitates, then he pulls. Music bursts out of the console, filling the room. The boy laughs out loud, his eyes suddenly shining green with excitement.

"Are you here with your uncle?" the Doctor enquires.

The smile vanishes from the boy's face. He nods, his face devoid of emotion. "It's my cousin's birthday. Mrs Figg couldn't look after me so they had to bring me with them." The boy shrugs. "All he cares about is the shooting games and punching things. So I wandered off. They won't miss me for ages." He takes a deep breath, putting this aside. "So... you said this is a ship? Where do you go in it?"

"Anywhere."

"Anywhere?"

"Anywhere I want. Any_when_ I want. All of time and space."

The boy smiles, but it's a sad smile. "Now you're just making things up."

"Why? Because there's no such thing as magic? Let me tell you something, Harry Potter-"

"How do you know my name?!" The boy backs away, suddenly on guard, ready to run.

"Because you're a fixed point in time."

"What does that mean?" Harry whispers.

"It means that I can't take you with me."

"Why not?"

"It's important that you stay where you are. That you carry on being you. People are relying on that. So many people. More than you know." The Doctor tries to smile. It never stops hurting, he should know that by now. Looking this boy in the eye and telling him that he can't rescue him from his relatives is just as painful as leaving Pompeii. "I can't take you with me, Harry. But I can make you a promise. I know grown ups are always making promises and breaking them, but this is one that'll keep."

"What?"

"It will get better."

Harry's jaw clenches. "Is that it?"

The Doctor nods. Harry turns and walks towards the TARDIS doors. He reaches up to the handle and then turns. "If you can really travel in time..." He pauses. The Doctor waits. "Then I want you to come and see me in the future."

"Done," the Doctor agrees, loving the look of surprise on Harry's face. "How about ten years from now? That should make you... what? Twenty?" Harry nods. "Splendid. Step outside, and I'll go and visit you right now!"

Harry shrugs and leaves, shutting the door behind him. The Doctor whoops and starts switching the TARDIS on, music still filling the air around him. "Oh, Harry Potter! I can't wait to see your face!"

Outside, Harry jumps back as a groaning fills the air and the TARDIS starts to blink in and out in front of his eyes. He can't believe this is happening. He looks around but nobody else seems to notice what's going on. The TARDIS vanishes before his eyes. Harry stares at the flattened patch of grass where it stood ten seconds ago and tries to wrap his mind around what just happened. He decides not to tell Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia about this. He's going to get punished for just wandering off, never mind making up a story about being inside a wooden box with a madman who claimed to travel in time.

**TEN YEARS LATER**

The sun shines on Porth Cwyfan and Harry Potter strolls along the beach towards St Cwyfan's Church, enjoying the sunshine and the sea air. For once, he is not thinking about Dark wizards or how to catch them. He has ten minutes to kill and then he will Apparate to Holyhead so he can meet Ginny after her training finishes. Life is good.

A strange groaning fills the air. He looks to his left and sees a blue box emerge out of nothing and then stand on the beach. His heart skips a beat and he stops walking, unable to believe what he's seeing. For a moment, he is ten years old again, standing in a impossible room with a madman telling him that he is a fixed point in time.

The Doctor, exactly the same as he remembers, leaps out of the box and yells "Surprise!"

Harry can't speak. He wants to laugh and he wants to cry. He lifts a hand and the madman stumbles over the rocks towards him, laughing and clapping his hands. "Your face! I love that look on people's faces!"

"It's you," Harry says, unable to think of a more intelligent statement. "It's you. You're real... it - _she's_ real," he corrects himself.

The Doctor gives him a smug grin. "Told you. Anywhere, anywhen. All of time and space."

Harry nods and then he finally lets out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "You remembered."

"It's only been a minute for me, Harry. Of course I remember you. And even if it hadn't been a minute... I'd know you anywhere." The Doctor twirls his finger with an affectionate smile. "All those threads of time looping around you, you beautiful little fixed point."

Harry smiles. "I'm still a fixed point, huh?"

"Oh yes. Once a fixed point, always a fixed point." The Doctor sticks his hands in his pockets and rocks back and forth on his heels, so pleased with himself that Harry can't help laughing.

"Who are you, Doctor?" he asks when he can finally stop. "You're not a wizard, are you? I looked... but I couldn't find you."

"Not exactly, no. Well, a SORT of wizard, but not what YOU'D call a wizard," the Doctor says with a teasing grin. "How are you, Harry? Happy? Safe? Well, no, not safe, I suppose. Never 'safe'."

Harry grins back at him. "No. Not exactly 'safe'. But... happy. Yes."

"Good." The Doctor turns and looks out to sea, his eyes closed as he basks in the sunshine.

Harry watches him, wondering whether to ask. He takes a breath. "Doctor..."

"Mmm?" The Doctor doesn't move.

"I don't suppose... I could..."

"I can't take you with me, Harry," the Doctor says without opening his eyes.

Harry suspected that would be the answer but it still hurts. He tries to smile. "Still a fixed point, huh?"

"Exactly," the Doctor says, looking at him now, his eyes full of understanding. "And you can't go back on your own timeline. I'm sure you know that."

Harry nods. "It's just..."

"I know," the Doctor assures him. "You want to see them. All those people you lost. It's natural. You're only human. But could you really promise me you'd just stand there? Without doing a thing to try and stop them dying? You of all people?"

Harry looks at him. Then he swallows and shakes his head. The Doctor smiles. "Of course not. Or you wouldn't be Harry Potter." He puts a hand on Harry's shoulder. "And this world would be a lot darker without you."

Harry nods again and tries to smile. "Will I see you again, Doctor?" he asks.

"Oh... maybe. Never say never," the Doctor says with a smile.

Harry knows that means 'no'. He glances at his watch and sees it's almost time for him to meet Ginny. "I have to go."

"Yes. You have to go and meet Ginny. Oh yes," the Doctor laughs as Harry stares at him, "I know about her as well! Now, off you go, or she'll be upset and we don't want that!"

"No," Harry agrees with a small smile. "We don't want that." He hesitates all the same. He knows this is probably the last time he will see the Doctor. "Thank you..."

"For what?"

"For keeping your promise."

There is a small crack and Harry vanishes from sight. The Doctor sighs and stares at the space where he stood.

"It was the least I could do."


End file.
